Liquid heating vessel

ABSTRACT

A kettle ( 10 ) is provided with LEDs ( 30 ) in the base ( 19 ) of the kettle that project through holes ( 18 ) or groups of holes ( 36 ) directly on to a power supply stand ( 16 ) to provide an indication that the kettle is switched on and yield a pleasing aesthetic effect.

[0001] This invention relates to the field of liquid heating vessels ingeneral, but is particularly suited to kettles.

[0002] It is known in liquid heating vessels, such as kettles, toprovide a means of illumination circumferentially around the liquidheating vessel so that the operational condition of the kettle isvisible to a user from any direction.

[0003] UK patent application GB-A-2,312,153 discloses a kettle with ahousing, wherein a light emitting device is located within the bottom ofthe housing. Light is guided from the light emitting device by anoptical conductor to be visible circumferentially of the housing.

[0004] International patent application WO-A-00/24300 also discloses akettle which has a light emitting device located within the bottom of ahousing. Light is guided from the light emitting device by a mouldedplate to be visible circumferentially of the housing.

[0005] Both of the above inventions require complex mouldings and extracomponents to provide a means of guiding the light from the lightemitting devices to the circumference of the kettle. The complexmouldings and extra components contained within the above kettles add tothe cost and complexity of their manufacture.

[0006] According to the present invention there is provided a liquidheating vessel comprising:

[0007] a housing; and

[0008] one or more light emitting devices disposed within said housingand positioned relative to respective holes in said housing such that,in use, said one or more light emitting devices project light throughsaid holes onto a surface outside of said housing, said light beingreflected from said surface outside of said housing to be visible to auser.

[0009] Because the light emitting devices are positioned to projectlight directly through the holes there is no requirement for any deviceor structure that has the function of guiding or conducting the emittedlight to the holes. This arrangement gives the advantage of reducing thecomplexity and cost of manufacture of the liquid heating vessel.

[0010] The light could be protected on to any surface outside of thevessel, such as a wall or work surface. However in accordance withpreferred embodiments, the light is reflected from an outer surface ofthe housing. Reflecting the light that exits the holes from an outersurface of the housing enables a desired visual effect to be readilyachieved and provides the ability to give a patterned effect.

[0011] While it will be appreciated that the liquid heating vessel maybe formed out of a single continuous part, it is preferred for thehousing to comprise a main body and a stand wherein the stand is a powersupply stand via which electrical power is provided to the liquidheating vessel.

[0012] While it will be appreciated that the light emitting devices maybe placed in the stand, preferred embodiments of the invention recognizethat the cabling from the activating switch in the handle to the lightemitting devices can be omitted if the light emitting devices are placedin the base portion of the main body of the liquid heating vessel,thereby reducing the complexity and the cost of manufacture of theliquid heating vessel.

[0013] A pleasant aesthetic effect can be achieved if light radiatescircumferentially from the bottom of the liquid heating vessel. Toaccomplish this light, emitting devices may be deployed in the base ofthe main body so that they project light out of the holes in the base ofthe main body that is then reflected by the outer surface of the standto be visible to the user.

[0014] While it will be appreciated that the light emitting devicescould take many different forms, e.g. neon bulbs, incandescent bulbs orlight emitting diodes, the preferred light emitting device is a lightemitting diode (LED). Light emitting diodes have the advantages thatthey are bright, reliable and have low heat output. Light emittingdiodes are available that can emit light that is directed within a coneof small solid angle, which may assist the projection effect.Superluminescent light emitting diodes or lasers may be preferred asthey emit very intense light compared to standard LEDs.

[0015] In preferred embodiments, the LEDs pulse in response to apredetermined operational condition of the liquid heating vessel, e.g.the LEDs can be lit continuously when the liquid heating vessel isheating a liquid to bring the liquid to a boil and the LEDs can flashwhen the liquid is being heated at a reduced rate to maintain the liquidtemperature once the liquid has boiled.

[0016] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way ofexample only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0017]FIG. 1 shows a kettle according to a first example embodiment ofthe invention;

[0018]FIG. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view of the kettle of FIG. 1;

[0019]FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross section of the stand and thebase portion of the kettle of FIG. 1;

[0020]FIG. 4 is a plan view of the stand and the base portion of thekettle of FIG. 1;

[0021]FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the stand and the base portionof a kettle according to a second example embodiment.

[0022]FIG. 1 shows a kettle 10 comprising of a lid 8 and a tubularhousing 12. The lid 8 and tubular housing 12 are preferably formed froma plastic material, but may be readily made from glasses, ceramics,metals or a combination of any of these materials. The tubular housing12 consists of a main body 11 set down on a stand 16. The main body iscomprised of an upper portion 14 and a base portion 19. The upperportion 14 is formed to have a spout 32 and a handle 15 that aredisposed opposite one another. An actuating switch 26 for the kettle 10is arranged above the handle 15. Upper portion 15 contains a window 20(multiple windows are also possible), which is made from a transparentor translucent material, which is preferentially plastic but could alsobe a glass. A number of holes 18 (not shown in FIG. 1) are positionedaround the circumference of the base portion 16. The kettle 10 couldhave more than one switch for different operating states.

[0023] In FIG. 2 more detail of the kettle can be seen. One or more LEDs24 are positioned substantially toward the top and on the inside of themain body 11 to provide illumination of the contents of the upperportion 14, thus providing an indication of the fluid level contained inthe upper portion 14. Further LEDs 30 are positioned within base portion19. Each LED 30 is positioned adjacent to a respective hole 18.

[0024]FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-section of the stand 16 and main body11. The base portion 19 of the main body 11 is downwardly conicallyreducing and the stand 16 is downwardly conically enlarging (i.e.extends downwardly and outwardly). The holes 18 are substantiallytowards the bottom of base portion 19. In operation, the LEDs 30 emitcones of light 40 which is substantially within a cone angle of 15° fromthe central axis of the cone. The LEDs 30 are positioned aboverespective holes 18 so that the cones of light 40 can directly projectthrough respective holes 18 to be incident on the outer surface 17 ofthe stand 16. The light cones 40 are reflected from the outer surface ofstand 16 to produce reflected light 33 that is visible to a user 34. TheLEDs 30 are positioned within the base portion 19 so that there is nodirect line of sight between the user 34 and the LEDs 30. The LEDs 30are chosen to emit red or orange light so that a pleasant visual effectis achieved, namely a red or orange glow around the base will beapparent to the user, giving the impression that the kettle is beingheated on a stove, hob or similar appliance. Other colours of LEDs couldalso be used to achieve different effects.

[0025]FIG. 4 is a plan view of the stand 16 and the base portion 19 ofthe kettle 10. There are eight holes 18 positioned around thecircumference of the base portion 19. Disposed within the base portion19 are eight LEDs 30 that are positioned relative to respective holes18.

[0026]FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the stand 16 andthe base portion 19 of a second embodiment of the kettle 10. In thisembodiment a group of holes 36 are associated with each LED 30, thegroups of holes 36 are arranged circumferentially around base portion19. The holes 18 that form each group of holes 36 are arrangedhorizontally in line with one another, although many differencearrangements are possible, e.g. shaped holes projecting a shaped beam oflight could be used to provide more complex visual effects, such asprojecting a logo or motif. The cones of light 40 that are produced bythe LEDs 30 encompass respective groups of holes 36. The light projectedthrough the group of holes 36 is reflected from the outer surface 17 ofthe stand 16 to be visible to a user 34. The group of holes 36 may bearranged to give a pleasing aesthetic effect, for example if the holes18 are arranged in groups of three associated with a LED 30 then, inoperation, the kettle has the appearance that it is being heated on ahalogen hob.

[0027] The LEDs 30 may be connected to a control circuit (not shown)such that they pulse in response to a pre-determined operationalcondition of the kettle. In one example, the LEDs 30 are continuouslylit when the kettle is being operated to bring a liquid contained in thevessel to the boil and then the LEDs 30 flash once the kettle has beenbrought to the boil and is being heated at a reduced level to keep theliquid in the kettle hot.

[0028] In embodiments in which the light was projected onto a surfaceindependent of the housing, such as a wall, it can be envisaged thatmore sophisticated operational state information such as temperature ortime to boil could be projected.

1. A liquid heating vessel comprising: a housing; and one or more lightemitting devices disposed within said housing and positioned relative torespective holes in said housing such that, in use, said one or morelight emitting devices project light through said holes onto a surfaceoutside of said housing, said light being reflected from said surfaceoutside of said housing to be visible to a user.
 2. A liquid heatingvessel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said surface outside of saidhousing in an outer surface of said housing.
 3. A liquid heating vesselas claimed in claim 2, wherein said housing comprises a main body and astand, said one or more light emitting devices being disposed withinsaid main body and said light being reflected from an outer surface ofsaid stand.
 4. A liquid heating vessel as claimed in claim 3, whereinsaid stand is a power supply stand via which electrical power is, inuse, provided to said liquid heating vessel.
 5. A liquid heating vesselas claimed in any one of claims 3 or 4, wherein said holes are in a baseportion of the main body.
 6. A liquid heating vessel as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, wherein said holes are positioned aroundthe circumference of the housing.
 7. A liquid heating vessel as claimedin any one of the preceding claims, wherein the liquid heating vessel isa kettle.
 8. A liquid heating vessel as claimed in any one of thepreceding claims, wherein the light emitting devices, in use, emit lightsubstantially within a cone angle of substantially 15°.
 9. A liquidheating vessel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, whereinthe light emitting devices are light emitting diodes.
 10. A liquidheating vessel as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the lightemitting devices are superluminescent light emitting diodes.
 11. Aliquid heating vessel as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, whereinthe light emitting devices are lasers.
 12. A liquid heating vessel asclaimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a group of holes isassociated with each light emitting device.
 13. A liquid heating vesselas claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lightemitting devices, in use, pulse in response to a predeterminedoperational condition of the liquid heating vessel.
 14. A liquid heatingvessel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein saidhousing has a sloped outer surface extending downward and outward fromsaid liquid heating vessel from which said light is reflected.
 15. Aliquid heating vessel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims,wherein said light emitting devices are not directly visible when saidliquid heating vessel is in use.